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Mornings with four kids, a cow to milk, chickens to feed, and a mountain of laundry can feel like a race against the clock. Breakfast often becomes an afterthought. But yogurt has become my secret weapon – and this raw milk Greek yogurt recipe is so easy, it’s a game-changer. Even on the craziest mornings, I can whip up a batch. Here’s how to make the easiest greek yogurt with raw milk.

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What is Greek Yogurt?

Greek yogurt is known for its thick, creamy texture, which sets it apart from regular yogurt. This thickness is usually achieved by straining the yogurt to remove the whey, the liquid portion. The result is a richer, tangier yogurt with a higher protein content. Personally, I find the thicker consistency so much more satisfying than the thinner, runnier varieties. 

But what if you could achieve that same thick, creamy texture without all the fuss of straining? This recipe skips the special yogurt straining equipment and hard-to-clean straining cloths altogether. You’ll save time and effort because this method results in a naturally thick yogurt, no straining required!

The Power of Yogurt: Health Benefits

Yogurt isn’t just delicious; it’s a nutritional powerhouse! One of its biggest benefits comes from the abundance of probiotics it contains. These beneficial bacteria play a crucial role in supporting a healthy gut microbiome, which is essential for digestion, your immune system, and even your mental well-being.

Whether made with raw or pasteurized milk, yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, a vital mineral for strong bones and teeth. Greek yogurt, in particular, stands out for its high protein content, making it a great choice for building and repairing tissues. It’s also a good source of various vitamins and minerals, contributing to overall health.

Beyond its nutritional value, yogurt can be a very satisfying and affordable meal option for the whole family. Its versatility allows for endless customization – add fruit, granola, or a drizzle of honey for a delicious and healthy breakfast, snack, or even dessert.

Keeping it Simple: Yogurt Making Essentials

Many yogurt-making methods involve specialized equipment like an Instant Pot/pressure cooker/Crock Pot, dehydrators, cheese cloth, or even a dedicated yogurt maker. While these tools can be helpful, I believe in keeping things simple in the kitchen. Why clutter your cabinets with single-use gadgets when you can achieve the same delicious results with a few versatile items?

For this easy Greek yogurt recipe, you’ll only need a few basic tools: a heavy-bottomed pot, a reliable thermometer, and some mason jars. That’s it! No straining equipment, no fancy incubators – just simple, everyday kitchen staples. This minimalist approach not only saves space but also makes the yogurt-making process less intimidating and yields consistent results

Understanding Yogurt Cultures: The Tiny Heroes of Yogurt Making

A yogurt starter culture is the key to transforming a gallon of raw milk into creamy yogurt. Active cultures are essentially a mix of beneficial bacteria that act as a starter. Yogurt cultures are thermophilic, meaning they thrive in the warm temperatures needed for yogurt making.

Think of these live bacteria as tiny helpers that feed on the sugars in milk (lactose) and turn it into lactic acid. This process is what thickens the milk and gives yogurt its characteristic tang. You might see names like Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus on the culture packaging – these are just the specific types of good bacteria at work. While the science behind it can get quite complex, the important thing to remember is that these bacteria are live probiotics, which are great for your gut health!

Choosing the Right Culture: The Key to Perfect Yogurt

Did you know that the type of yogurt culture you use can significantly impact the texture and tanginess of your finished yogurt? It’s true! I’ve experimented with several different cultures, and I’ve found two favorites that consistently deliver thick, creamy results:

LyoPro Y+ (Homesteaders Supply): This is my go-to, Non-GMO culture. I’ve been using the same container for over a year, making dozens of one-gallon batches for my family (more on stretching the culture in a bit!). It consistently produces a beautifully thick and sweet yogurt, which is exactly how we like it.

ABY2C (Glengarry Cheesemaking): This culture is another excellent choice for thick yogurt. It tends to produce a slightly tangier flavor compared to the LyoPro Y+. If you prefer a sweeter yogurt, you can easily adjust the sweetness by adding a touch more sweetener, like honey or maple syrup, to your finished product.  

Stretching Your Cultures: A Money-Saving Tip

One of the questions I often get asked is how to save money on yogurt making. Yogurt cultures, while essential, are an extra cost. For example, my culture cost per gallon of yogurt is about $1.25. But I’ve discovered a fantastic way to stretch my cultures and significantly reduce that cost: by reusing a bit of my finished yogurt.

Here’s how it works: After making the first batch of yogurt, I set aside half a cup of yogurt (plain) and store it in the fridge. This reserved yogurt is packed with the live cultures needed to start the next batch. I can typically do this for about three batches before I notice the yogurt starting to thin, at which point I’ll use a fresh culture from the freezer.

By using this culturing process, I’ve cut my costs by more than half, from $1.25 per gallon down to approximately $0.41 per gallon. It’s an easy and effective way to enjoy homemade yogurt without breaking the bank.

Another great way to save money is to use store-bought plain yogurt as a starter. Keep an eye out for sales on your favorite brands at the grocery store, and stock up! This can be a very cost-effective alternative to using culture packets, especially if you find a brand you love.

Choosing Your Milk: Raw or Pasteurized

One of the great things about this yogurt recipe is its flexibility – you can use whole raw milk, skimmed raw milk, or even pasteurized and homogenized milk.

There are many benefits of raw milk and if you’re using this option, you have the option to skim the cream off the top before making yogurt. This is especially useful if you also want to make butter. Personally, I love the rich, creamy layer on top of my delicious yogurt, but some family members prefer less cream. In that case, we simply skim it off their individual servings. It’s a delicious treat for those of us who enjoy it!

Keep in mind that store-bought, homogenized milk already has the cream mixed in, so you won’t get that distinct cream layer. However, pasteurized milk works just as well in this recipe, and no special adjustments are needed.

Easy Greek Yogurt with Raw Milk: The Recipe

Equipment:

• 6-quart kettle/saucepan (heavy-bottomed is recommended for even heat distribution)
• Micro measuring spoons
• Instant-read thermometer
• Storage containers (a glass jar works well)

Ingredients:

• ⅛ tsp LyoPro Y+ Culture or ABY-2C Culture OR ½ C of plain yogurt (from a previous batch using this recipe or a store-bought yogurt)
• 1 gallon of milk (whole or skimmed)
• 1 cup sugar or 1 tsp powdered stevia (sweetener is optional)
• 2 ½ tbsp unflavored gelatin
• ½ cup cold water

Instructions:

1. Heat the Milk: Pour the milk into your kettle and heat over medium heat until it reaches 180°F. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
2. Cool the Milk: Remove the kettle from the heat and allow the milk to cool to 130°F. To speed up this process, you can place the pot in a sink partially filled with cold water, stirring the milk gently to help it cool evenly.
3. Prepare the Gelatin: While the milk is cooling, soak the gelatin in the cold water for about 5 minutes or until softened. This will allow the gelatin to bloom, which helps it dissolve smoothly into the warm milk.
4. Combine Ingredients: Once the milk reaches 130°F, stir in the sugar or stevia (if using). Then, add the bloomed gelatin and stir thoroughly, breaking up any clumps. Make sure the gelatin is fully dissolved.
5. Add the Culture: Sprinkle the freeze-dried culture evenly over the surface of the milk or add the plain yogurt. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. (This allows freeze-dried cultures to rehydrate.)
6. Incubate the Yogurt: Pour the yogurt mixture into your glass jars or other storage containers, leaving about 2 inches of headspace. Place the containers in your oven with the oven light on. This is the easiest way for me to provide a gentle, consistent temperature for incubation. Let the yogurt sit overnight or for 8-10 hours. For a thicker yogurt, incubate longer. If your oven light doesn’t provide enough warmth (around 100-110°F), you can also incubate the yogurt in a warm place, such as on a heating pad or in a cooler with hot water about ¾ the way up the mason jars.
7. Chill and Enjoy: In the morning, transfer the yogurt containers to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours to allow the yogurt to thicken further and develop its full flavor.

Serving Suggestions:

Enjoy your homemade Greek yogurt plain, topped with homemade granola, drizzled with honey, mixed with fresh fruit (or frozen), or with a dollop of your favorite jam.

Delicious Yogurt Notes & Tips

• Quality Ingredients: Making your own yogurt allows you to control exactly what goes into it. For the best flavor and results, consider using high-quality ingredients. Sourcing grass fed, organic milk from a local farm or an organic yogurt as a starter culture may give you additional confidence in your own homemade yogurt.
• Flavor Infusions: For a fun twist, try adding jam to your yogurt! During step #4, you can use an immersion blender to mix 1-2 cups of your favorite jam directly into the milk. For a classic vanilla yogurt, simply mix in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract during step #4.This creates a delicious and evenly flavored yogurt.
• Raw Milk Tip: If using raw dairy, I’ve found that using milk that’s 5-7 days old (rather than very fresh milk) yields a nice, thick raw milk yogurt. This is just a personal observation, and you can experiment to see what works best for you.

Happy Yogurt Making!

This is how to make the easiest Greek yogurt with raw milk. It’s become a staple in our home, and is another reason we have a family milk cow! I’m excited for you to try it. Let me know in the comments below if you make it, and feel free to ask any questions you might have. I’d love to hear from you! And for more recipes and homesteading inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter – I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the HandMilked.com community.

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5 from 2 votes

Easy Greek Yogurt with Raw Milk

This delicious recipe creates a thick, nutritious yogurt that is easy to make.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Breakfast, Cheap meal, Raw Milk, Yogurt

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Incubation and Chilling Time 12 hours hours

Total Time 13 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 gallon

Calories 82kcal

Equipment

• 1 6 Quart Stockpot
• 1 Instant Read Thermometer
• 6 Storage Containers (we like Quart Mason Jars) Or Various Sized Containers
• 1 ⅛ Measuring Spoon optional

Ingredients

• ⅛ tsp LyoPro Y+ Culture or ABY-2C Culture OR ½ C of plain yogurt from a previous batch using this recipe or a store-bought yogurt
• 1 gallon of milk whole or skimmed
• 1 cup sugar or 1 tsp powdered stevia sweetener is optional
• 2 ½ tbsp unflavored gelatin
• ½ cup cold water

Instructions

• Heat the Milk: Pour the milk into your kettle and heat over medium heat until it reaches 180°F. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
• Cool the Milk: Remove the kettle from the heat and allow the milk to cool to 130°F. To speed up this process, you can place the pot in a sink partially filled with cold water, stirring the milk gently to help it cool evenly.
• Prepare the Gelatin: While the milk is cooling, soak the gelatin in the cold water for about 5 minutes or until softened. This will allow the gelatin to bloom, which helps it dissolve smoothly into the warm milk.
• Combine Ingredients: Once the milk reaches 130°F, stir in the sugar or stevia (if using). Then, add the bloomed gelatin and stir thoroughly, breaking up any clumps. Make sure the gelatin is fully dissolved.
• Add the Culture: Sprinkle the freeze-dried culture evenly over the surface of the milk or add the plain yogurt. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. (This allows freeze-dried cultures to rehydrate.)
• Incubate the Yogurt: Pour the yogurt mixture into your glass jars or other storage containers, leaving about 2 inches of headspace. Place the containers in your oven with the oven light on. This is the easiest way for me to provide a gentle, consistent temperature for incubation. Let the yogurt sit overnight or for 8-10 hours. For a thicker yogurt, incubate longer. If your oven light doesn’t provide enough warmth (around 100-110°F), you can also incubate the yogurt in a warm place, such as on a heating pad or in a cooler with hot water about ¾ the way up the mason jars.
• Chill and Enjoy: In the morning, transfer the yogurt containers to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours to allow the yogurt to thicken further and develop its full flavor.

Notes

• Quality Ingredients: Making your own yogurt allows you to control exactly what goes into it. For the best flavor and results, consider using high-quality ingredients. Sourcing grass fed, organic milk from a local farm or an organic yogurt as a starter culture may give you additional confidence in your own homemade yogurt.
• Flavor Infusions: For a fun twist, try adding jam to your yogurt! During step #4, you can use an immersion blender to mix 1-2 cups of your favorite jam directly into the milk. For a classic vanilla yogurt, simply mix in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract during step #4.This creates a delicious and evenly flavored yogurt.
• Raw Milk Tip: If using raw dairy, I’ve found that using milk that’s 5-7 days old (rather than very fresh milk) yields a nice, thick raw milk yogurt. This is just a personal observation, and you can experiment to see what works best for you.